“What is it about flying cars? We’ve wanted to do this for about 100 years…so instead of trying to make a car that can fly, we decided to try to make a plane that can drive.” ― Anna Mracek Dietrich
Anna is dedicated to making the world a better place through entrepreneurship, innovation, and the power of words. She works as a consultant in management strategy and government relations, writing legislation, federal regulation, and policy communications at the state and federal level. Her particular passions are advancing the modern family, supporting small business innovation, and the personal aviation industry.
She began her career participating in Mars rover prototype testing while in high school then receiving both her BS and MS in aerospace engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After spending time at both GE Aviation and Boeing Phantom Works before co-founding Terrafugia in 2006, Anna served as Chief Operating Officer there until 2014 when she stepped back to focus on her consulting and policy interests. Anna now works in the Massachusetts State House while remaining a key contributor to Terrafugia's regulatory affairs and certification program.
Anna was named one of the Boston area's top 15 Innovators by the Boston Globe, was one of the 10 women selected for the 6th annual Mass High Tech Women to Watch Award, and has been recognized by Engineers Week New England with their annual Achievement Award. Anna serves on the Board of Directors of Women in Aviation International (WAI), has spoken at TED Global, lectured at MIT, been published at outlets such as CNN.com, and has a private pilot license. For more information, visit Anna's website: annamdietrich.com.
About Terrafugia:
Terrafugia is company that is developing flying cars called the Transition and the TF-X. The Transition® is a two-place, fixed wing street legal aircraft that fits in a single car garage and is designed to be flown in and out of general aviation airports. It is designed to be easy and fun to fly and is extremely simple to convert between flying and driving modes. The TF-X™ is a four-place vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) hybrid electric vehicle that is designed to revolutionize personal travel as Terrafugia leads the creation of a new flying car industry.
TED Conference Presentation:
A Plane You Can Drive